Russia slams US-led air strikes

Russia has criticised the US-led air strikes in Syria, saying they should have been agreed on with its ally Damascus and would fuel tensions in the region.

“Any such action can be carried out only in accordance with international law,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “That implies not a formal, one-sided ‘notification’ of air strikes, but the presence of explicit consent from the government of Syria or the approval of a corresponding United Nations Security Council decision.”

“Attempts to achieve one’s own geopolitical goals in violation of the sovereignty of countries in the region only exacerbate tensions and further destabilise the situation,” the ministry added.

China took a slightly less critical stance, but Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying stressed that the international community’s counterterrorism efforts should be in accordance to principles of the United Nations Charter. “We advocate respect for international law and the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries concerned in the international fight against terrorism,” she said at a daily news briefing. AGENCIES